As many of you know, I love kettlebells. They are one of the best tools, if not the best tool around as far as versatility goes. They can help make you brick house strong, bodybuilding big, and cut like Bruce Lee. They create a stamina of a stallion and make you pretty damn near-invincible. I mean, I recently survived getting hit by a car for Pete’s sake. Point is they are fucking great! Now, having said that, I think it is very, very important to seek out a certified Kettlebell instructor to learn how to use them. Do not just watch a youtube video and try to mimic what you see. I promise you that it will look ugly and you might injure yourself.
Kettlebells are less intimidating than barbells. This is what I like to call an alternative fact. They are awesome for beginners because it can be a little easier to get into certain positions such as learning how to deadlift or squat. It is great for building the foundation on which all other exercises are built from. Also, they help build grip, shoulder,and posterior (backside) chain strength. You’ll find those areas to often be weak spots for the average person, especially those stuck at a desk all day. Here is a list of all of the things you can expect with consistent kettlebell training:
1. Your ass will look amazing! This is number one for a reason. Who does not want to have a nice ass? I do not think there is a soul who doesn’t want a nice ass. Kettlebells are notorious for building glutes of steel. Due to societal norms, we sit a lot more than ever before. This can lead to a deconditioned buttocks and shortened hamstrings. Kettlebell swings, cleans, and snatches (it’s an exercise, believe me) all do wonders for building strong hamstrings and resilient glutes that’ll look amazing in any pair of pants.
2. You will be able to unscrew the ketchup bottle. It is believed that grip strength is a great indicator of a person’s overall health and their life expectancy. Do you want to make everyday tasks easier as well as tack on a few extra years of life? The kettlebells will help do the trick. Simply having to hold onto a kettlebell will help forge amazing grip strength, which will make carrying groceries, unscrewing a bottle of ketchup, or tearing up junk mail much easier to do.
3. You will become smarter. Whaat? No f-in way kettlebells make you smarter. Well, they won't actually make you smarter, but they'll sharpen your mind if used properly. Heard of cognition? The vestibular system? Proprioception? Yea, all dat. Kettlebells can give you great awareness from the environment, especially if you are performing proper Turkish get ups(TGU). You’re working both sides of the brain while doing TGU, single arm swings, single arm overhead press, and any other exercise that you are forced to work the X. Working the x is when you use your left arm and right leg or right arm and left leg, and the X is both of those together while your core is in the middle. This type of exercise can help create new neural pathways, which in sense can make you smarter!
4. Your back will feel amazing! Kettlebells are great for building nice strong backs from your spine to your back muscles. Exercises like farmer’s carry and double-racked front squats are awesome for creating a much improved posture. Again, due to the amount of sitting we do as a society, many of us have not the best posture. These can help us undo that. Also, Kettlebell DL, Swings, and any other variation that requires a hip hinge do an awesome job of building a resilient back. Yes, even those of you out there with back pain can benefit from kettlebell movements when done with proper form.
5. It will ensure that you age with grace. Don’t let the common theme of losing muscle, not moving as well, gaining fat, and having an achy low back or knees define how you age. These characteristics of aging are really just characteristics of not moving that often. Through kettlebell training you can build resilient joints, create lean mass, burn fat, and move like a ninja even as you age! Now who doesn’t want that?
Kettlebell training is a skill. Each exercise utilizes your body to move as a unit. Even exercises such as the kettlebell overhead press uses your glutes and legs, as well as your core and upperbody. It is what helps create great movement in everyday life. You are not just isolating muscle groups, but rather engaging a variety of them. More bang for your buck. So get out there and give kettlebell training a try and quickly feel all of its benefits.